A Review of Claim Made by David E. Harrell Jr. in All Things Are Possible

In his groundbreaking book, All Things Are Possible: The Healing & Charismatic Revivals in Modern America (Indiana University Press, 1975), David E. Harrell Jr. made a claim about Charles S. Price that left me scratching my head. On page 17, he wrote: "The man who probably influenced the healing revivalists of the postwar period most directly was Dr. Charles S. Price."

I have read Harrell's section on Price and cannot determine his reason or basis for making the claim. Perhaps he mentioned it somewhere, and I simply missed it.

Price was one of several preachers who gained fame as a healing evangelist in the 1920s and 1930s. While his success is without question and is widely known, the extent of his impact, in my opinion, is hard to determine. His ministry was certainly extraordinary, but when I read about the evangelists with The Voice of Healing, I don't see Price being mentioned or cited as often as some of the others from his generation, like F.F. Bosworth, E.W. Kenyon and Smith Wigglesworth.

It seems to me that it would be more accurate to say Bosworth or Kenyon had the greatest impact on the revivalists in question. Of course, my first choice, in terms of direct influence, would be Bosworth, and here's why:

First, Bosworth was physically present in the revival meetings of William Branham and Oral Roberts, the two leaders of the Post-WWII healing movement. Price died in March 1947, but for 10 years following his death, Bosworth served as a mentor and advisor to scores of young evangelists, including T.L. Osborn. According to Osborn, his famous ministry of "healing en masse" was inspired by advice he received from Bosworth.

Second, Bosworth's book, Christ the Healer, which has remained in print since 1924, was the textbook used by many evangelists in the 1940s and 1950s. His book is frequently cited today by students, pastors, and other ministers of the gospel. Rhema Bible Training Center, the school founded by Kenneth E. Hagin, has been using the book as a required text for several decades. Like Osborn, Hagin was one of many evangelists who knew Bosworth through The Voice of Healing.

Of course, Harrell knew of Bosworth's achievements, and he wrote about them in All Things Are Possible, which makes his claim about Price all the more puzzling. To be honest, however, this issue isn't really a big deal, and in the greater scheme of things, it probably doesn't matter who influenced the postwar revivalists "most directly." But I'm just curious, and I wonder what led to Harrell's position on the matter.

Note: My book, F.F. Bosworth: The Man Behind Christ the Healer, can be purchased here with a 25% discount. Use the discount code: bosworth25.

Visit the F.F. Bosworth pagehere. Questions about the research and commentary on F.F. Bosworth may be directed to Roscoe Barnes III, Ph.D., via email at doctorbarnes3@gmail.com or roscoebarnes3@yahoo.com. For updates on F.F. Bosworth history, simply follow this blog or @Roscoebarnes3 on Twitter. #ChristTheHealer